


Assumption

by Cake and Pi (Tarrin)



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, Light-Hearted, Mild Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-18
Updated: 2015-05-18
Packaged: 2018-03-31 02:38:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3961285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarrin/pseuds/Cake%20and%20Pi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He meant to tell them before, but it never seemed to come up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Assumption

Artemis sat up bleerily. She had just managed to fall asleep, and something had had the audacity to be beeping at her, waking her up. It wasn’t her alarm clock - she had yet to replace it after she’d thrown it against the wall the morning before. It wasn’t the fire alarm, it wasn’t a car alarm, so what - oh.

It was her communicator.

She snatched it up, glaring at it, daring it to spontaneously combust or be crushed in her death grip.

It failed to do either of those things, so she answered.

“I am _off duty_ ,” she growled, as if Kaldur would forget that she and Wally were, generally, not doing missions anymore.

“Emergency situation. You’re nearest and next on the list.”

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. Or tried to - it got caught halfway in the tangles. “Okay fine. I’ll be ready in twenty.” She closed the line and threw herself back down on the mattress, staring at the ceiling in the dark. “Fuck my life.” She told it, before rolling out of bed with a sigh. She grumbled to herself as she suited up. “Especially fuck Batman’s damn emergency situation list. And most especially the people who were above me on that list. May they nearly drown on their next mission.”

She finally made it out the door with seven and a half minutes to spare to make it to the nearest Zeta-Beam portal. It would definitely be enough if she ran. But she didn’t dare run, not with her two bags of extra gear. So she made do with a fast walk. She barely made it within her stated timeline.

She nodded at Kaldur as she reappeared in the Cave. He went over the mission details quickly. “All right, I’m on it.” She said when he was done. “But _you_ get to watch this while I’m gone. And if any harm comes to her while I’m gone, Kaldur, you’re dead.” She set one bag down on the floor and handed him the other.

Ordinarily, she’d never make that sort of threat. But this wasn’t ordinary anymore. She did make sure to Zeta out before Kaldur could do more than just blink at the bags.

Four hours later, Kaldur had nominally adult company.

“B-0-1, Nightwing. B-0-3, Kid Flash.”

“Thanks for coming out tonight,” Nightwing said as he covered a yawn. “Sorry that it didn’t turn up anything.”

“No problem dude, it was great to hang out again.” Wally grinned then caught sight of Kaldur. “Woah. Kal, you never said you had a kid! Why does no one ever tell me these things?”

Kaldur looked up from the small child he was holding, giving Wally a bland look. “The child is not mine. Artemis left her with me.”

The silence was deafening. Nightwing broke it, clearing his throat. “Uh, and when were you gonna share that with us, Wally?”

“I- what?”

“B-0-6, Red Arrow.”

“Your little beta team’s okay, if a lot bruised. They’re just delaying the inevitable Batman debriefing. And… why do you have Lian?”

“So this is your child?” Kaldur ventured into the new quiet.

Red Arrow glanced at his sometimes teammates and flushed. “Well. Yeah. Was going to tell you guys, just… it never came up.” He shrugged.

Nightwing frowned in concern at Wally, then, too late, tried to grab him. His friend had already moved, slamming Red Arrow against a wall. “I love Artemis.” He ground out.

“… Yes?” Red Arrow replied cautiously at the non-sequitor. Over Wally’s shoulder he could see Nightwing approaching, hopefully to help. Kaldur stared while Lian burbled delightedly.

“I love her. And I know I was gone for a while, with the whole ceasing thing. Stuff happens. I get that. I don’t blame either of you.”

“Wait, I think you -”

“But I’d’ve thought one of you could’ve _told_ me.” His voice was flat, dangerously so. Red Arrow hadn’t heard that tone from his friend before, but he knew it. He’d used it himself, when he was upset enough to not care what about what he might do but cared enough to not do it… yet.

“Wally. Wally. Let Red go.” Nightwing said, grabbing Wally’s shoulder and tugging.

“No.”

“It’s not what you think.” Red Arrow tried to explain in his most reasonable tone. It didn’t work.

“Isn’t it?!”

Kaldur frowned and glanced around for a safe place to set down the child - Lian. There wasn’t much, besides the carry basket Artemis had brought her in, and he was hesitant to put Lian back in it. Had this been why she was still on the ‘emergency only’ list? And yet, Wally didn’t seem to know about Lian, which didn’t sit well with Kaldur. Surface culture and Atlantean didn’t match up in many places, but matters involving parentage and children were one place they did seem to overlap.

“Artemis did drop the child off. I assumed it was hers.” Kaldur said, hoping to refocus Wally’s attention. He would be hard pressed to help Nightwing if things got violent; he was on light duty while his broken leg healed.

“I’d think I’d remember that.” Red Arrow said dryly. Wally narrowed his eyes at his old friend. Then a new hush fell on the Cave as the computer announced Artemis’s arrival.

She stalked in, boots squelching and hair dripping wet. “You owe me.” She stated as she lifted Lian from Kaldur’s arms.

“Artemis?” Wally’s voice had a strangled note to it now. He’d turned his head to watch her, but still had yet to let go of Red Arrow. “Y- you?”

“Oh, hey Wally. See you guys figured out how to keep my niece entertained.”

“… N-niece?!” Wally spluttered. “Wait, that means -” His head whipped back around to Red Arrow. “ _You didn’t._ ” He said, sounding scandalized.

Red Arrow closed his eyes. He could hear Nightwing trying not to laugh, and just about feel Kaldur’s eyebrows rising.

“So you - you and J-” Wally began and didn’t finish. Red Arrow used the wall as leverage to send him flying to the floor. He followed, helping Wally stay down where he’d landed, and growled. “Don’t you _dare_ say it.”

To the side, Lian laughed and clapped her hands uncoordinatedly but enthusiastically. “Yes, there’s my favorite little niece. Thanks for watching her Kal, but no more emergency missions this week okay?” She grabbed the bag she’d brought for Lian’s care as well as her carry basket. “Let’s go say hi to your grandma, huh? And then I can shower cause I _reek_.” She gave herself a sniff as she carried Lian off.

“Artemis - ah. Your report?” Kaldur asked belatedly.

“It’s all taken care of! Nothing exploded! And Captain Marvel showed up so he can do it.” She called back as she reached the Zeta tubes.

There was silence for the third time that evening, a record for when Batman wasn’t around intimidating people.

“Really? _Cheshire_?”

“Shut up.”


End file.
